Bolts G Bishop injured, taken out of game

TAMPA – Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop left Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to injury and will not return.

Bishop was injured at the 5:43 mark of the first period when he dove to his left to catch a puck out of midair. Bishop appeared to fall awkwardly on his left side with his left arm was outstretched.

Tampa Bay’s No. 1 goaltender stayed down on the ice for several moments while being attended to by head medical trainer Tom Mulligan. As he skated off to the locker room, Bishop appeared to be favoring his left arm.

The team sent out an update that said Bishop suffered an upper-body injury and was out for the remainder of the game.

Bishop is a MVP candidate this season with a franchise record 37 victories, 2.23 goals against average and .924 save percentage and has been a big reason for the team’s rise up the standings. He has been hampered by an undisclosed injury to his right wrist suffered on Jan. 5 in Edmonton when his stick became caught up in the skates of teammate Tyler Johnson early in the first period. Bishop has managed to play through that injury with a brace during games.

The injury to Bishop comes a week before the Lightning are set to star the 2014 playoffs, which are scheduled to begin April 16, though no opponent or schedule of dates has been set.